Improvement in elevators



2 SheetS SheeH 1. M BEAN.

Elevators.

Patented March 11, 1873.:

Fig.9.

INVENTOR ES E S WITN 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

3. M. BEAN.

El evators.

Patented March 11, 1873.

INVENTOH WJTNESSES AM PHOTU-LITHOGRAFHIL ca MX(0aBm/v.'s' mucEss.)

- to another in buildings.

rrn

I JAMES M. BEAN, or WATEBTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEVATORS.

- &

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,580, dated March 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. BEAN, of Watertown, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Elevators for Passengers and Freight, of which the following is a specification:

Nature and Objects of the Invention.

The invention relates to elevators for transporting passengers and freight from one story It consists of two or more endless chains running upon sprocketwheels, said chains carrying a series of revolving platforms and a series of revolving seats for passengers near said platform; said chains or outward chains also run in continuous grooves or other suitable guides, and are connected horizontally by a series of stays firmly fastened to corresponding links in said chains, and said chains and said stays form together an endless belt, carried by the said sprocket-wheels at their furthest distance from each other. The series of platforms are designed to correspond in number with the stories of a building, and when the elevator is operated the platforms, by operation of machinery not herein described, become stationary at each story or landing, thus cutting off the draft of air occasioned by the usual continuous well; and while the endless belt carries the series of platforms by the same operating power passengers may go up from one story to another on one side, and others may go down from the same landing, corresponding platforms always being in position to transport in either direction; also mechanism by which all of the gates or doors to the entrances to the platforms may be opened or closed by one motion. The object of the invention is to furnish a safe, commodious and easily-operated elevator for passengers and freight-safe, because,first, if the chains break the platform cannot fall; and, secondly, the platforms at each story form a complete cutoff in the well, and in case of fire there is no danger, more than ordinary, of fire communicating from one story to another; commodious, because the same power carries-two platforms from each landing, one going up and the other going down; easily managed,

because it is designed that the operator stand at the upper landing, where, by proper machinery, (not shown in drawing,) he can control the whole movement and cause the platforms to be cleared.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is an elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the upper sprocketwheel, endless belt, platform, seats, &c.,"on the plane, as Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section, the plane of which is at right angles to that of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section just above the lower sprocket-wheel, showing the same, the grooves or guides, chains, connecting-rods, 850. Fig. 6 shows the arrangement of the mechanism for opening or closing the gates with the gates closed, and Fig. 7 shows the same arrangement with gates open. Fig. 8 is a section of the head and lever.

The same letter represents like parts.

A represents the frame-work; B B, the sprocket-wheels; O G, &c., the platforms; D D, &c., the seats; E E, the endless chains, of which F F, 850., are the links; H H, &c., hooks or supports of the platform; I I, &c.,conneoting-rods, on which the platforms and seats hinge; K K, continuous grooves for chains or belt; L L, guides for support of rollers; M M, 850., the rollers; N N, &c., the gates; P P, R R, &c., the pulleys; S S, the rollers in mechanism for opening and closing gates; T, the lever; X X, X X, Z Z, and Z Z, 850., cords in operating gates, 85c.

Figures and letters and drawing are made apart of the specification.

General Description.

The sprocket-wheels B B, seen in Fig. 2, are made of the usual material for such purposes, and are of the ordinary size and re-. volve on shafts, to which power is applied. The drawing represents them as octagonal, and the links F F, &c., as fitting upon the sides of the sprocket-wheels; and this form of sprocket-wheel has its advantages, but the sides, however, may be polygonal or cylindrical. The platforms 0 0, 8w, are made of any desirable or suitable material and size, and are self-adjusting. Each is double-i. e., two are at right angles to each other-and they :metallio: braces, or othersuitable mate-rial,

side, and then the other part becomes the carrying-platform.

- platform or too great strain upon the hinges,

' shown by the dotted lines in said Fig. 3, selfet-wheels, (see Figs. 2 and 3 these pass between the links of the chain and serve as teeth or cogs to hold the chain, a tooth meshing into straight double links, or each alternate link is double, riveted together, as seen in Figs. 2

- wheels, moving in continuous grooves, (see strikes and fits its outer edge into these hooks,

' and the chain-links will be observed little rollers M M.

- stays G G, &C., perform an important ser- 3 and 4:- that they are securely fastened at a each end by pinsor screws to corresponding'lin-ks in the two chains so that the two chains and the stays between the correspondinglinks of the same together forma com are connected together at the ends by strong To prevent a too sudden revolution of the as might happen, India-rubber or other suitable springs may be used to ease the descent and prevent any noise.

The revolving seat, as D, seen in Figs. 2 and 3, is hinged in the same manner as the plat forms by a rod running through from chain to chain, and said rod is riveted through the chain-links. (See I I, Figs. 3 and 5.) The seat, as it-passes over the sprocket-wheel, (see Fig. 3,) by its own weight revolves and hangs horizontally, like the platform, while the seat,

adjusts its position for use.

Short pins will be observed in the sprockcvery link, or alternate link, of each chain, so that at least three teeth all of the time are meshed into each chain in passing a sprocketwheel.

The endless chains E E are composed of and 4. These are carried over the sprocket Fig.-5,) or by any suitable stays or guides. Upon the chain-links, at convenient places, are riveted hooks H H, 820., having a bent form, said hooks being riveted to the chainlinks on the side toward the platform. (See Figs. 2, 3, and 4.) The platform as it revolves and hence, there being corresponding hooks on the two chains at each end of the platform, they serve to keep it in place and give it support. Between the bent forms of these hooks (See Figs. 2 and 3.) These rollers press against the guides L L, shown in said Figs. 2 and 3, and also upon the sprocketwheels, and serve to lessen friction. The

vice to these chains. It will be seen in Figs.

plete belt, passing'around the two separate sprocket-wheels.

When great weights are to be raised on the platforms any number of like endless chains may be arranged over the sprocketwheels, between the two described chains, and connected with these stays G G, 860., making the elevator as powerful as occasion may require.

Continuous grooves K K (see Fig. 5) are made in the frame A, and the chains, being confined therein by the stays G G, and thereby prevented from swaying outward, must move on in the grooves, and if one or both brciak the platform cannot by any possibility fal Connected with the elevator, and as a part of its convenient operation, I have invented mechanism, consistingof braces, movable bars, cords, pulleys, rollers, lever, 850., the arrangement of which is clearly seen in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawing.

I place the operator of the elevator at the upper landing as the most convenient place. It will be seen that the cords Z Z are attached to the upper part of the upper gates, and pass over pulleys, and wind about the upper roller S, and are fastened to the head part of the lever T, (see Figs. 6 and 8,) so also that the cords Z Z pass pulleys, over and around the lower roller S, (see same figures,) and are attached to the lever-head, &c. 5 and in like manner the cords X X X X operate the lower gates.

To open the gates when the platforms arrive at theentrances, the operator depresses the lever T, and by the arrangement described all of the gates open, 8:0.

In regard to the sprocket-wheels, in addition to what has been observed above, I will here suggest that where this elevator is used in buildings of several stories, and the belt would be of considerable weight, additional sprockets, with cogs or pins to hold the chains thereon, may be employed, if necessary, at each story, and thus no considerable weight would be brought to bear upon the upper and lower sprockets. The chains, also, carryin g the platforms, 850., being evenly balanced in revolving the sprockets, great saving of power will result therefrom.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut- 1. A revolving platform, as (J, constructed and arranged upon a rod or hinge, as I, in combination with the endless chains, as E E, and stays, as G G, 8mm, substantially as and for the purpose described. A

2. A revolving seat, as D, constructed and arranged upon a rod or hinge, as I, in combination with the endless chains, as E E, stays, as G G, 850., substantially as and for the purposes described. 7

3. The hooks H H, 8tc., as combined and arranged with the chain links F F, 8m, and for the purposes substantially as described.

4. The rollers M M,- 8tc., combined and-in.

arrangement with the endless chains E E, the stays G G, &c., the guides LL, and the hooks H H, &c., substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. A passenger-elevator provided with a series of revolving and self-adjusting platforms, as O O, &c., and a series of revolving and selfadjusting seats, as D D, &c., in combination and arranged with an endless belt whose edges run in continuous grooves, as K K, or other suitable guides, said belt being composed of chains, as E E, stays, as G G, &c., and operated by two or more sprocket-wheels, as B B, substantially as described.

6. Operating two or more gates or doors,

as N N, &c., by one movement, the same being operated by pulleys, as R R P P, 860., cords, as X X X X Z. Z Z Z, rollers, as S S, lever, as T, the whole being combined and arranged substantially as and for the purposes described.

JAMES M. BEAN.

Witnesses:

J. L. NEWTON, I). F. FLYNN. 

